Review: eFilm 20GB PicturePAD
Robert Riberia - September 4, 2004

After using a 5 megapixel camera for a short period of time, it became quite apparent that the two 256mb compact flash cards I owned provided inadequate storage capacity for extended photo trips. When Rhonda and I decided to take a 10-day photo trip to southwestern Utah in the Spring of 2004, we realized that we had to get more storage capacity.

Rather than building up a huge pile of compact flash cards, we looked into portable data storage units. Basically, these units consist of a battery powered hard drive with a compact flash socket and data transfer port. When you are on the road you simply plug your compact flash card into the unit, press a few buttons, and the entire contents of your card is transferred to the hard drive. When you get home, simply plug the unit into your computer and transfer the photos to your computer’s hard drive. There are quite a few units on the market, ranging in price from $200-$400.

Since I am really paranoid about deleting the contents of my compact flash card before I back them up at home, I wanted a unit that would have the ability to review my photos after they are transferred. Many of the entry-level units do not have a color LCD screen to review pictures. After checking out a friend’s Delkin Devices' eFilm PicturePAD, I decided that it was the unit for me. It’s a bit on the pricey side at $359, but it does a lot more than a $200 unit.

I rather like the smooth shiny finish of the PicturePAD. Unfortunately, fingerprints like it too!

The Option Slot, on top of the unit, is for optional (expensive) accessories like a USB 2.0 port,
Firewire port, and multi-card adapter - all sold separately. Luckily, if you use
compact flash cards you don't need any of those to enjoy the PicturePAD.

Inserting a compact flash card into the port, on the bottom of the unit, is a bit tricky to line up.

Things I like about the PicturePAD

• Photos can be viewed after transferring them on the built in color 320 X 240 display.
• Files can be verified after transferring.
• Support for Nikon 5700 RAW files.
• The built in firmware is user updateable. New feature additions and support for future file formats are possible.
• Computer installation is a snap. It simply shows up as a removable drive in Windows XP.
• The Windows-like file navigation system allows navigation through the entire contents of the hard drive. You can create directories, rename, copy and move files, and a whole lot more. The computer-like user interface is very intuitive to use.
• 20GB is more than enough storage capacity. It will hold well over 13,000 photos from my 5 megapixel Nikon 5700. I can’t imagine a trip where I would need more storage space than that!
• It has a video-out connection so you can review you pictures on any TV with composite video jacks. The video quality looks great on my Sony Wega TV.
• It even comes with a remote control! You can scroll through your photos, start and stop a slide show, zoom in and much more.

• It comes with a nice case, although the inside pouch for the remote control isn’t the greatest. The remote control always slides out whenever I remove the PicturePAD from its case.

• It comes with an AC Adapter, composite video cable for your TV, and a USB cable to hook up to your computer.

Things I don’t like about the PicturePAD

• Photo display is rather slow. It can take about 5-7 seconds to decode and display a 5 megapixel image. However, note that if you are in the slideshow mode it seems to pre-process the images and the show is nice and smooth.
• The quality of the LCD display isn’t the greatest and it’s rather small, only 1.5 inches wide. The picture quality is a definite step down from the on-camera LCD’s I am used to. I wouldn’t recommend this unit as something to carry around and share photos with friends on its built-in screen, however, if you want to display your photos on their TV it is a great choice.
• The built in USB port is only USB 1.1. For this price, 2.0 should be built in. There is an optional USB 2.0 adapter, but it is large and costs a whopping $49.
• Battery life isn’t the greatest. I can transfer and verify about 6-8 256MB cards before needing to find an outlet or recharge the batteries.
• The hard drive is not user upgradeable. However, Delkin makes 40GB and 60GB versions of the PicturePAD

Conclusion

I am very pleased with the PicturePAD. After using it for nearly 6 months, I confidently transfer my compact flash cards on the road without a second thought. I still am very glad that I bought a unit with a color LCD screen to review my photos. The peace-of-mind that comes from seeing your photos on the screen after you transfer them is just one less thing to worry about on a photo trip. I now have as much confidence transferring my photos to the PicturePad as I do transferring them to my home computer. Although I wasn’t really looking for a unit that would hook up to a TV, I have to admit that it’s a blast reviewing your photos in a hotel when you are on the road. However, not all hotel TVs have video inputs.

When I am not on the road, the PicturePAD is also useful as a backup device. Even after transferring my compact flash cards directly to my computer, I transfer my cards to the PicturePAD until I back up my photos to DVD’s, which I do about once a month.

For $100 more than an economy data storage unit, the PicturePAD delivers quite a bit.